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| Ex-minister Tim Loughton says children's agenda sidelined | Ex-minister Tim Loughton says children's agenda sidelined |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| By Angela Harrison BBC News correspondent | By Angela Harrison BBC News correspondent |
| England's former Children's Minister Tim Loughton has complained important issues affecting children have been sidelined as the government prioritises a shake-up of schools. | England's former Children's Minister Tim Loughton has complained important issues affecting children have been sidelined as the government prioritises a shake-up of schools. |
| He said the children's agenda had lost out to "the bulldozer that was the school reform programme". | He said the children's agenda had lost out to "the bulldozer that was the school reform programme". |
| Mr Loughton lost his job in the last reshuffle. | Mr Loughton lost his job in the last reshuffle. |
| He said it was "deeply worrying" there had been "complete silence" on child sex abuse from his old department. | He said it was "deeply worrying" there had been "complete silence" on child sex abuse from his old department. |
| He said the Savile case and cases of gangs sexually exploiting children had given the issue its highest ever media profile, but the issue was losing out to other priorities in the Department for Education, which also has overall responsibility for children in general. | He said the Savile case and cases of gangs sexually exploiting children had given the issue its highest ever media profile, but the issue was losing out to other priorities in the Department for Education, which also has overall responsibility for children in general. |
| He made the comments to MPs on the Education Select Committee, where he is appearing alongside two other ministers from the department who also lost their jobs in the reshuffle. | He made the comments to MPs on the Education Select Committee, where he is appearing alongside two other ministers from the department who also lost their jobs in the reshuffle. |
| Asked why he "was sacked", Mr Loughton said: "Your guess is as good as mine." | Asked why he "was sacked", Mr Loughton said: "Your guess is as good as mine." |
| Coalition politics | Coalition politics |
| The Conservative MP told the committee he had been "frustrated" that some planned policy changes he had seen as priorities were not taken up by the government. | The Conservative MP told the committee he had been "frustrated" that some planned policy changes he had seen as priorities were not taken up by the government. |
| They included changes to child safeguarding and youth initiatives. | They included changes to child safeguarding and youth initiatives. |
| Mr Loughton appeared before MPs shortly before two other ex-ministers, the Conservative Nick Gibb and the Liberal Democrat Sarah Teather. | Mr Loughton appeared before MPs shortly before two other ex-ministers, the Conservative Nick Gibb and the Liberal Democrat Sarah Teather. |
| Ms Teather told MPs she had felt the Secretary of State Michael Gove had clearly been focused on the schools shake-up, but had allowed ministers "to get on with their jobs" and had regularly gone "in to bat" to support her in pushing forward changes in her area. | Ms Teather told MPs she had felt the Secretary of State Michael Gove had clearly been focused on the schools shake-up, but had allowed ministers "to get on with their jobs" and had regularly gone "in to bat" to support her in pushing forward changes in her area. |
| Government adviser on adoption Sir Martin Narey disagreed with Mr Loughton's views about priorities at the Department for Education. | |
| On Twitter he said: "Good Min as he was [Tim Loughton] I don't share view. Gove committed to adoption and care reforms. He's given me lots of time." | |
| Mr Loughton had painted a critical picture of the workings of the Department for Education, saying ministers were not allowed to wander around the department and talk to people unofficially and that all meetings had to be minuted. | Mr Loughton had painted a critical picture of the workings of the Department for Education, saying ministers were not allowed to wander around the department and talk to people unofficially and that all meetings had to be minuted. |
| He likened it to the management of Grace Brothers, the department store depicted in the TV sitcom Are You Being Served?, where he said once promoted, to the top, management were rarely seen on the shop floor. | He likened it to the management of Grace Brothers, the department store depicted in the TV sitcom Are You Being Served?, where he said once promoted, to the top, management were rarely seen on the shop floor. |